Small house: Fine Homebuilding magazine special issue has big ideas for small spaces

"Small Homes: Big Ideas for Small Spaces" is a special edition of Fine Homebuilding magazine that features smart and attractive design ideas in featured houses ranging from 433 square feet to 2,550 square feet.

In a society where the size of one's home is often the most tangible symbol of wealth and success, few would aspire to live in a small cottage or a cozy bungalow.

But if thoughtful and skilled design can create a highly desireable living space, the architects featured in the best of Fine Homebuilding magazine's "Small Homes" issue (Taunton Press, $9.99) have managed to pare down the dream house.

While some of the houses have a square footage typically associated with "starter" dwellings, each is bright and airy thanks to abundant windows, high ceilings and various space-saving features. They range from a 433-square-foot boat house on the Willamette River in Oregon to a 2,550-square-foot row house in Lancaster, Pa. Among the "big ideas for small spaces" are multi-purpose rooms, built-in furnishings and storage, and outdoor settings that extend a home's living area beyond its walls.

While most of the homes fall in the 1,900-to-2,400-square-foot range, among the smallest is a 540-square-foot mother's cottage built behind the daughter's California home. One side of the house has the living room, kitchen and dining area in an open floor plan. On the other side, the bedroom, bathroom and a laundry area are tucked away for greater privacy. A view of the shared garden, a spacious deck and a glass-block wall in the bathroom help to brighten the one-bedroom house.

Even in the largest house, a bi-fold door conserves precious bedroom space. And in the library, a wall unit hides a bed that folds down to accommodate guests. Of the home's three bedrooms, two have dual purposes, providing office and studio space to the owners.

In Brooklyn, a pair of young architects managed to squeeze a rental unit and a garage into their 1,950-square-foot home on a narrow lot. To accommodate their busy schedules, many of the materials for the three-level building -- including flooring, tiles and a fireplace -- were ordered online, .

A shingled Wisconsin cottage is a vision, showcasing architectural details such as a large, arched living room window, a similarly rounded eyebrow dormer in its roof, and curved buttresses. These soft touches provide a pleasant contrast to the clean, straight lines of the shingles, the more angular windows and an imposing roof gable.

In addition to the houses, which include both traditional and modern exteriors, architects also share design principles that use interior space most efficiently. There also are tips to make any home feel more spacious.